Nashua North volleyball players celebrate a win over Nashua South last fall, when at this time student athletes did not have to wear masks competing. It looked like they would this season until the Board of Education amended its earlier ruling on Monday night. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA — Competitors out on the game floor for Nashua High School North and South girls volleyball teams, plus cheer teams this fall won’t have to be masked during competition as the result of a unanimous vote by the Nashua Board of Education Monday night.

The board was urged at their meeting in person by Nashua Athletic Director Lisa Gingras to amend its indoor mask ruling that came as the result of an Aug. 9 vote.

However, according to Gingras’ recommendation, coaches, spectators, officials, staff and players on the bench will still need to wear masks.

The ruling applies to practices as well, and also the locker rooms at Stellos Stadium, where student athletes gather with coaches at halftime of games, possibly eating, drinking, etc.

Gingras’ request was for after school hours and also applied to athletes working out in the weight room.

“Our volleyball and cheer teams are practicing each and every single day inside buildings,” she said. “And because our gym (at North) is still being worked on, our cheer team from North is actually over at Elm Street in the heat without air conditioning, practicing and competing two to three hours a day with masks on.”

She noted that several fall sports athletes plus those from other seasons use the weight room on a regular basis, and unless the change was made, “these student athletes will also be required to wear masks while exerting themselves physically.”

Now that won’t have to be the case.

Gingras, in her formal letter to the board requesting the amendment be considered, added the move “would not impact the school day operations and activities in the gyms or weight rooms, only after school hours.”

And, the board agreed, without much debate on the athletics impact as much of the discussion on the issue Monday night veered off-topic.